By Kamal Ahmed, GNA
Somanya (E/R), May 4, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed government’s commitment to transform the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) into a leading centre of academic excellence in Ghana.
He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration is determined to make the university, located at Somanya, a “citadel of learning” through sustained investment in infrastructure and academic development.
The President made the remarks during an inspection tour of ongoing projects at the university, including hostel facilities currently under construction as part of his two-day resetting Ghana tour in the Eastern Region
“This university is our own baby, and we have a very sentimental attachment to it, so we want to make it a model for the whole of Ghana to see that this university is a citadel of learning in the country,” he stated.
Mr Mahama noted that additional infrastructure would be provided to support the growth of the institution, explaining that the University Council had submitted a list of priority projects requiring government attention.
“I can assure you we are going to work on it and make sure that more is made available so that it can become a good seat of teaching and learning,” he added.
The President said he inspected two hostel facilities—an 800-bed and a 450-bed project for male and female students.
He indicated that the 450-bed facility is expected to be completed by October this year, while the 800-bed facility is scheduled for completion in February 2027.
He expressed optimism that the projects would enable more students to reside on campus and benefit fully from academic life.
“We will be coming to commission these projects within the stipulated timelines and also initiate new ones,” he assured.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Vice-Chancellor of UESD, Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson, said some of the projects inspected by the President date back to 2016 and remain uncompleted.
He explained that the visit was to assess both ongoing and stalled projects, including those initiated in 2024 and as recently as February this year, with the aim of securing support to ensure their completion.
“We showed him projects that have been started and those at various levels of completion. Some are about 70 per cent complete, and contractors have promised to finish by October,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the next phase of development includes accommodation, lecture halls, science laboratories, a two-kilometre asphalt road, and a recreational field.
He, however, indicated that while work had begun on some components such as lecture halls and laboratories, others—including accommodation and recreational facilities—had not yet commenced.
“We believe that if work had continued uninterrupted, these projects would have been completed by now. We are therefore engaging the President to help bring the contractors back to site,” he added.
Prof. Nyarko-Sampson identified key challenges facing the university as inadequate accommodation, limited lecture space, and insufficient teaching and learning materials.
He expressed hope that the President’s visit would accelerate progress on the projects and address the institution’s pressing needs.
“Our expectation is that work will be expedited. We are hopeful that the President will review our proposals and respond positively to help improve infrastructure and academic delivery,” he said.
GNA
Edited by D. I. Laary /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Kamal Ahmed, GNA
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